The Gore Connoisseurs

As your werewolf movie approaches its climax, it's time for your cursed antihero to writhe and groan as some FX magic happens and a helpless victim just stands there and watches the whole thing. But just how the transformation occurs has changed a fair bit over the years - depending both on the evolution of practical effects and prevailing cultural trends. Some have aged better than others.  Let's start with: The hairy crossfade (pre-1980s) Notable examples: Werewolf of London (1935),  The Wolf Man (1941), Frankenstein Meets The Wolf Man (1943),  Curse of the Werewolf (1961) Werewolves had it easy pre-Rick Baker. Come the full moon, they would segue into vicious beasts via a series of crossfades, minus the whole screaming, flesh crunching and skin ripping which would come later. In these early films, strategic pillar walking was a less time-consuming FX option, as evidenced by this clip from Werewolf of London.  In The Wolf Man , Lon Chaney...

Bored of werewolves and Brundleflies ? Creature feature horror has headed down some weird back alleys - here are five of the most bizarre. Cat People (1942 & 1982) In a sentence: The Wolf Man for cat lovers. What goes down: Irena is cursed to turn into a bloodthirsty panther every time she has sex. The original was a Wolf Man ripoff which ended up being a hugely influential early horror movie. The 80s remake is a surprisingly well-made erotic thriller with crazy incest vibes. Did you know? The original coined the 'Lewton bus' effect - where mounting tension is released via a false jump scare. In this instance, when we're expecting Irena to attack at any moment, the hissing sound we mistake for a panther is actually just a bus pulling away. Black Sheep (2006) In a sentence: Ninety minutes of sheep fucking jokes. What goes down: In this enjoyably bloody New Zealand horror comedy, a mutant sheep gives the flock a taste for human flesh, wh...

Why do movie werewolves always look ridiculous? We've rated ten of the most popular on appearance alone, independent of the quality of the films they appear in. We know – we're so shallow. It's our controversial opinion that there has never been a truly satisfying werewolf design. But there are certainly less bad ones. From towering classics  American Werewolf and Ginger Snaps to less lauded pop culture fare such as Twilight and Harry Potter, we've taken a good long look at some hairy beasties. Here are our findings... Twilight  (2008-2012) –   0/5 The teen saga's treatment of werewolves is arguably even more heinous than its portrayal of vampires. The lycanthropes are fluffy doggos you wouldn't be too put out seeing on a lead in the park. Characters transform at will in a matter of seconds – this is lycanthropy as a superpower and we're not buying it. The Howling  (1981) – 1/5 Not that we enjoy being provocative but... ...

We've ranked the ten most toxic horror movie relationships via the medium of #couplegoals Instagram posts.  Relationships almost always head south in horror films. The lucky ones just realise they're not meant to be together. The majority end up killing their significant others and/or being horrifically betrayed by them. We're counting down from "less than desirable" to "you two should break up right now". Time to have a peek at the horror movie Instagram feed. 10) David & Alex, An American Werewolf in London (1981) So how did you two meet? He was a backpacker in hospital recovering from a werewolf attack. She was a softly spoken nurse who quickly succumbed to his American charms. The best part of their relationship: They're actually pretty cute together, so long as David isn't a hairy rampaging beast. Any hangups? David's killing sprees had a surprisingly minimal impact on his love life. Alex, loyal until the...

So you've seen Hereditary , were scared silly, and are looking for your next dose of auteur horror. What other films (I hear you ask) have such a unique cinematic vision and are directed with such an attention to detail? The truth is there's no shortage of filmmakers who see themselves as the David Lynch or Quentin Tarantino of horror. Few manage stylised horror with the panache of Ari Aster , yet dig deeper and there's a decent clutch of films where someone has clearly obsessed over their aesthetic. From the artificial, dolls' house quality of Hereditary to 80's throwbacks like It Follows and The Guest , directors use cinematography and soundscapes to create an underlying sense of dread or to just make their films uber stylish and memorable. Yet for those of you who (quite rightly) have already devoured the work of Adam Wingard and David Robert Mitchell , here are the stylised horror films you've yet to discover. Replace Where you s...